MEET THE BOARD

Rickey Cornutt

BY JESSIE SHOOK

Rickey Cornutt joined the Alabama Farmers Cooperative Board of Directors in 2019. The Boaz, Alabama, farmer began his relationship with the Co-op by being a loyal customer. The relationships built led to his position on the county board, followed by the state board. He has remained a devoted customer and advocate for the Co-op ever since. “As a director, my goal is to help make decisions that will make our local Co-ops successful,” Cornutt said.

Cornutt is a fourth-generation farmer at Cornutt Farms, LLC. He began full-time farming in 1981 alongside his father. “I started farming right out of high school,” he said. “I have been around the farm all my life. Now the farm consists of me and my brother Chris, along with my daughter Cara and nephew Nathan – we hope that Cornutt

Farms will continue to have many more generations to come.”

The 2,000-acre farm produces corn, soybeans, wheat, hay and cattle. In 2019, they started an agritourism business, offering the public pumpkins and sunflowers in the fall season. Cornutt takes a lot of pride in what he does and the meaning behind the family farm. “I farm because it is more than a job, it’s a way of life,” he explained. “To think that we are farming the same land that our fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers worked is very rewarding. To know that we are doing what God has called us to do, and to know we have a small part in being able to help feed, fuel and clothe America.”

Cornutt has been married to his wife, Connie, for 38 years. Those years have brought them two daughters, Leslie Baugh and Cara Cornutt, a son-in-law, Skylar Baugh, and two granddaughters, Paisley and Presley

Baugh. “Leslie is a nurse for a local doctor’s office,” Cornutt explained. “Cara started working full time on our family farm in 2018 after graduating from Auburn University with an agricultural economics degree.”

While there’s not much free time on a farm, Cornutt enjoys spending his down time playing and watching basketball, fishing on the farm, and spending time with his grandchildren - the next generation at Cornutt Farms.

As Cornutt continues to be an integral part of the AFC Board of Directors, his mission and love for the Coop will remain the driving force of his role on the board. “I love the whole idea of the Co-op system and how we are farmer-owned,” Cornutt said. “We love being part of the Co-op family.”